The 12-Week Holiday Planner (Free Weekly To Do Lists + Podcasts #31-#43)
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Can you believe it is time to begin thinking of the holidays? Do you want to have a peaceful Thanksgiving and Christmas — holidays where your focus is on Jesus and celebrating with your family? Enter — The 12-Week Holiday Planner! Below you will find the weekly To Do Lists that are contained in The 12-Week Holiday Planner. Those of you who have purchased The Holiday Planner will have all the forms that go along with the To Do Lists. If you have not purchased the planner, then you will need to make your own forms or buy your own copy!
I have listed below quick links to each week, so you can easily jump to the right week. I’d love you to join me as we prepare our hearts and homes for the holiday season! We begin next week! Yeah! So bookmark this page, buy a copy of The Holiday Planner if you want all the forms and recipes to go along with the To Do Lists, and let’s get started!
Week 10: Meal Making & Decorating Week
Week 11: Final Shopping/Wrapping Week
Week 12: Enjoy Your Christmas Celebration Week
Weeks 13 & 14: Family Traditions & New Years
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Week 1: List Week
Time to start making those lists!
[ ] Holiday Self-Evaluation! Complete the Holiday Self-Evaluation form provided. Now is the time to really evaluate what your family’s goals are for the holidays. Sit down together as a family and discuss what the Lord would want your family to do as far as activities, traditions, etc. this holiday season. Keep this form in a place where you will frequently see it and be reminded of your goals for the holiday season.
[ ] Make your lists of gift recipients – Using the Christmas Gift Shopping List and Gift Making Checklist provided, jot down people you will want to buy gifts for and/or make gifts for. Don’t worry about specific gift ideas now you will work on that next week. For now, just jot down names! Once completed, file this list in your Christmas Gifts Checklists section in the back.
[ ] Christmas Card List– Using the Christmas Card Checklist provided, fill in the names and addresses of family and friends you want to send cards to. Once the names and addresses are completed, slide into a sheet protector and file in the Christmas Card Checklists section in the back. (Use a washable marker to fill out the checklist, marking on the sheet protector if you want to include a picture and when the card is mailed, so that you can wash off and reuse this list year after year!)
[ ] Plan out menus for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s – Fill out the Menu forms and Recipe Cards provided for each of these holidays and file them in the Holiday Menus & Recipes section for later use! (See Our Favorite Holiday Recipes section for some ideas!)
[ ] List of baked goodies to share or to give away – Using the form provided, jot down a list of people you would like to bake for this holiday season! Use the Holiday Baking Recipe Cards to fill in recipes you may want to use for these gifts. File this under the Holiday Baking & Recipes section when your list is completed. (See Our Favorite Holiday Recipes section in the planner or check out my Recipe Index for ideas!)
[ ] List of favorite meals to freeze for later – Using the form provided, make a list of some of your family’s favorite meals that you can make and freeze ahead of time! (Check out my Freezer Cooking Pinterest Board for some ideas!) You can also use the Freezer Meal Recipe Cards to fill in some recipes you want to use. Having some meals in the freezer during the busy holiday season will be such a blessing! Just make a list for now, the actual preparation of these meals will be done later. Once you have compiled a list of meals, file this form under the Holiday Menus & Recipes section. (See Our Favorite Holiday Recipes section in the planner for some ideas!)
[ ] Holiday Wardrobe Planner – Using the form provided, make a list of the holiday clothes each family member currently has. Note any clothing items that need to be purchased and plan on getting those things soon. It is very handy to have this thought through ahead of time. When it comes time for your family picture, or a formal holiday dinner, you can quickly turn to this list and see what clothing items each family member should wear (so you can all match if you wish!). Print out more than one page of this planner, if needed, to include every family member.
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Week 2: Browse Week
[Click here to check out Sidetracked Sarah’s Freezer to Slow Cooker meal plans I mentioned in the podcast!]
This week’s list is short, but it is very important! You will be making lists of gifts that you want to buy or make yourself, as well as jotting down some decorating ideas. You may be tempted to skip over these this week, but don’t!
[ ] Develop gift ideas! Turn to your Christmas Gift Shopping List and Gift Making Checklist that are filed under the Christmas Gifts section. Develop and record ideas for gifts that you want to buy and gifts that you want to make yourself. We have included a wealth of gift ideas for you to choose from to get you started (in the Holiday Planner). You can also find some great gift ideas in my Homemade for the Holidays series or check out my Gifts Kids Can Make Pinterest board.
[ ] Brainstorm decoration ideas! Using the Decoration Ideas form provided, begin to jot down decoration ideas for each room of your home, along with supplies that you will need. File this form under the Holiday Decorations section when completed.
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Week 3: Supplies Week
This week we will be focusing on making your shopping lists and going shopping!I know this may seem like you are getting way ahead of the game, but believe me, you won’t be sorry! Getting this shopping down now will save you big time later on! Besides, next week is baking week, so you will want to make sure you have all the ingredients on hand to make baking week a success!
[ ] Inventory the supplies you have on hand, then you are ready to do the rest of your to do list for this week!
[ ] Shopping Lists for non-perishables! Turn to your Recipe Cards filed under the Holiday Menus and Holiday Baking sections and using the form provided make a list of non-perishables needed for holiday meals and baking. Make sure you have plenty of yeast and related items on hand.
[ ] Baking Shopping List! Next week will be a Baking Week, so if you plan on doing some holiday baking ahead of time that you can put in the freezer, include perishable items you will need for these recipes as well!
[ ] Gift making Shopping List! Turn to your Gift Making Checklist filed under the Christmas Gifts section and jot down the supplies needed for gift making.
[ ] Decorations Shopping List! Turn to your Decoration Ideas form filed under the Holiday Decorations section and jot down supplies you will need for decorating for the holidays.
[ ] Finalize Shopping List! Also jot down miscellaneous supplies such as film, batteries, gift wrapping, and Christmas cards as needed.
[ ] Shopping! Take your lists and GO SHOPPING!
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Week 4: Baking Week
This is a fun week! You get to do some holiday baking! Make sure to make a schedule for the week so that you get all the baking done! Then after the baking is done, you get to jot down some gift ideas for the kids. How fun!
[ ] Holiday Baking! Set aside some time this week to do some holiday goodie making (things that you can stick in the freezer). You can bake items you plan to share or give away AND other goodies to have at family gatherings, OR just do one or the other! There will be another baking week closer to Christmas, so keep that in mind. Pull your List of Baked Items to Share/Give Away and the Holiday Baking Recipes filed under the Holiday Baking section and place in your binder behind your calendar for this week so they are ready to use! If you need some great holiday recipes, you can find some in my Homemade for the Holidays series or check my Recipe Index for more ideas!
[ ] Schedule Your Week! Use the calendar provided to schedule your week so you get all the baking done! Once your baking is done, be sure to file these forms back under the Holiday Baking section and note on the List of Baked Items to Share/Give Away form (filed in the Holiday Baking section) what you have completed.
[ ] Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids! Using the form provided, make lists of toys, books, and clothes that children would enjoy and keep the list handy for telling family members who ask what they would like.
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Week 5: Gift Making Week
This week we will be tackling some big items! I know this list is small, but you will have to work hard to get these done. You will be focusing on finishing up any homemade gifts, writing a Christmas letter, getting a family photo ready, and working on your Christmas cards! Whew! So, put on some Christmas music and get busy. Have fun!
[ ] Homemade Gifts! Focus your energies on completing gifts to be made and setting aside gifts that aren’t coming together.
[ ] Christmas Letter! Write a Christmas letter. A draft page is provided, as well as a few stationary pages!
[ ] Family Photos! Find family photos suitable for inclusion with Christmas cards.
[ ] Christmas Card List! Finalize your Christmas Card List and prepare cards/newsletters for mailing.
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Week 6: Shopping Week #1
This week’s tasks begin with decorating for Thanksgiving. If you haven’t already done so, spend some time this week decorating your home with fall decorations. I know we are doing a lot of planning for Christmas, but we don’t want to forget about Thanksgiving and how much we have to be thankful for.
Then you will pull out those Christmas Gift Shopping Lists you made a few weeks back and head to the store! But you won’t stop there. You will go ahead and wrap those gifts and get ready to ship any that need to be shipped later. Have fun!
[ ] Decorate your home for Thanksgiving!
[ ] Christmas Gifts to Buy! Turn to your Christmas Gift Shopping List filed under the Christmas Gifts section and focus on purchasing these gifts this week.
[ ] Wrap Gifts! Wrap and label gifts as you go!
[ ] Prepare to Ship! Set aside shipping boxes for those gifts that will need to be shipped later.
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Week 7: Shopping Week #2
Our focus this week will be another shopping trip to prepare for Thanksgiving. Have fun shopping some of those before-Thanksgiving sales and make sure you get everything you will need for Thanksgiving dinner. Prepare your home for a wonderful time of giving thanks to the Lord for all He has blessed us with! Have a great week!
[ ] Before-Thanksgiving Sale Shopping! Complete as much shopping as possible! Take advantage of the many items that are on sale before Thanksgiving!
[ ] Shopping for Thanksgiving! Check Thanksgiving menus, grocery list, and purchase any additional, needed supplies. Are appliances for health on your list?
[ ] Make Your Lists & Go Shopping! Use the Shopping List forms provided to make your lists and GO SHOPPING!
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Week 8: Thanksgiving Week
This week we will be focusing on preparing for Thanksgiving and then enjoying it with family and friends! You will be doing all your baking, as well as doing some fun things with the kids! See my Thanksgiving {Learning} Pinterest Board for lots of great ideas!
[ ] Prepare for Thanksgiving! Use this week to prepare Thanksgiving dishes, pies, homemade rolls, etc., and enjoy the holiday with your family! See Marilyn’s Traditional Thanksgiving Menu & Recipes under the Our Favorite Holiday Recipes Section!
[ ] Make a Thanksgiving Quilt! Use the activity page provided to make a Thanksgiving Quilt with your younger children! Older children may enjoy making a larger quilt on a piece of card-stock paper, then covering it with contact paper to make a nice placemat!
[ ] Make door hangers! Print out the door hangers onto card-stock paper. Cut out around the edges, then cut out the hole at the top. You will then need to cut the slit by the hole so that you can hang them over the doorknobs! Enjoy!
[ ] Make Thanksgiving Placemats! I have included instructions for having your kids make placemats to keep or give away!
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Week 9: Mailing Week
This week we will getting those gifts shipped, Christmas cards done and mailed, and looking at doing some sort of Advent Countdown! Have fun!
[ ] Ship Gifts! Complete package wrapping for gifts to be shipped and ship them! Use the Christmas Gifts to Be Shipped form provided if you want to make a list of the gifts to be wrapped and shipped if you desire. Then check these off as you get them shipped. File this form under the Christmas Gifts section for future reference.
[ ] Complete Your Christmas Cards! Using the Christmas Card Checklist filed under the Christmas Card section, complete addressing and mailing your Christmas Cards this week.
[ ] Advent Countdown! Another idea for Advent is to have an Advent Countdown until Christmas. There are tons of great ideas to countdown to Christmas. In the show notes I will include a link to a free printable that you can use to make your own Countdown to Christmas.
[ ] Begin Jesse Tree Devotionals! There are many types of Advent activities that a family could do. Check out this post where I share some of our favorite Advent books and read-alouds, as well as tons of links to Christmas lessons and activities!
Helpful Links:
- Countdown to Christmas (free printable)
- Wrap up 25 new Christmas books and unwrap and read one each day of December!
- Our Christmas Bucket List (free printable)
- Jesus Storybook Bible Advent Printable
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Week 10: Meal Making & Decorating Week
This week we will be getting some freezer cooking, holiday baking, and some decorating done! Fun!
[ ] Prepare Some Freezer Meals! Prepare some favorite meals to put in the freezer for the hectic days ahead. Turn to your Freezer Meals list & Recipe Cards (filed under the Holiday Menus & Recipes section) and use it to check off as you complete dishes and put them in the freezer. Keep this list handy so you know what dishes you have in the freezer. Cross them off as you use them during the holiday season. Click here to visit my Freezer Cooking board on Pinterest!
[ ] Holiday Baking! Turn to your List of Baked Items to Share/Give Away and the Holiday Baking Recipes (filed under the Holiday Baking section) and use to check off as you complete baked goods and put them in the freezer. Note: You already had one Holiday Baking Day, so take note of what you have in the freezer already! You may not want all your baked goods to go in the freezer now. Make sure you do some holiday baking for your own family to enjoy, as well as finishing up baking for others.
[ ] Decorate for Christmas! Involve children in memory making! Use the calendar page provided to plan some special things to do with your children this week. See my list for some ideas!
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Week 11: Final Shopping/Wrapping Week
This week we will finishing up any shopping and wrapping, as well as planning some fun family activities!
[ ] Last Minute To Do List! Using the calendar page provided, jot down last minute to do items to be completed, holiday parties, concerts, and family activities.
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Week 12: Enjoy Your Christmas Celebration Week
This week you will be enjoying Christmas with your family and friends!
[ ] Enjoy the Holidays with family and friends! Take time to drive the neighborhoods to enjoy holiday lighting displays. Enjoy family traditions and special meals.
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Weeks 13 & 14: Family Traditions & New Years
[ ] Holiday Reflections – Before we get into some fun family tradition ideas for the next two weeks, take some time to sit down and fill out the Holiday Reflections form provided. While it is still fresh in your mind, write down your thoughts about the holiday season. Keep this in your notebook so you can look it over when you begin your holiday planning next year!
[ ] After Christmas Family Tradition Ideas – Following the Holiday Reflections form, you will find lots of neat ideas for creating some meaningful family traditions during the two weeks following Christmas. We realize that this section may not apply to those that travel over the holidays, but we wanted to provide some ideas to bridge the gap between Christmas and getting back into your regular schedule in the New Year. While all of these ideas may not be spiritual in nature, they do provide a way to build relationships as a family and some memories that will last a lifetime. I have provided a form you can use to schedule some “Family Traditions” during the two weeks following Christmas Day. I have also included a divider page that you can keep all your “Family Traditions” ideas and plans behind in your notebook. Enjoy!
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Buy The Holiday Planner
These Weekly To Do lists are directly from The 12-Week Holiday Planner. Those of you who have purchased The Holiday Planner will have all the forms that go along with the To Do Lists. If you have not purchased the planner, then you will need to make your own forms or buy your own copy!
